knockabout

adjective

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knock·about | \ ˈnäk-ə-ˌbau̇t

Definition of knockabout

1 : suitable for rough use knockabout clothing

2a : being noisy and rough : boisterous knockabout games

b : characterized by boisterous antics and often extravagant burlesque knockabout comedy

3 of a sailing vessel : having a simplified rig marked by absence of bowsprit and topmast a knockabout sloop

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Examples of knockabout in a Sentence

He lived a knockabout life in the city. a knockabout game of football in the mud

Recent Examples on the Web Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal. — Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'knockabout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.